


Family Matters

by Julesmonster



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-19
Updated: 2012-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-14 14:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julesmonster/pseuds/Julesmonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian and Justin face becoming a family in their own unique way... but not everyone is happy for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> A/N: This is a story I worked on for about six months. For that length of time, you'd think that it was novel length, but it isn't. There are only six parts to this story, about 17,000 words. 
> 
> Warning: This story contains Mpreg (and slash, in case you missed the memo. I mean, come on, it's QaF!).

**Part One**

"That's impossible," Justin told the doctor. He was completely serious and completely shocked by what the doctor had just told him. It hadn't even fully sunk in, but there was one thought that continued to play through Justin's head as the doctor's words danced around in a jumble of nonsense. "My partner _always_ uses a condom. I mean _ALWAYS_. We're never unsafe."

"Even condoms fail," The doctor shrugged. "I ordered the usual full STD panel when I ordered the blood work. You're clean. But you _are_ pregnant."

Justin was in a bit of a daze as the doctor continued to talk. He recommended an obstetrician who specialized in male pregnancies—they were rare, but common enough in a city the size of Pittsburgh to require a handful with the specialty—and wrote a prescription to help with the morning sickness and for prenatal vitamins. He gave Justin a short lecture about drugs and alcohol and smoking. Luckily, he also gave Justin several pamphlets to take with him, since Justin really wasn't processing anything the man said to him.

Justin walked out of the doctor's office on shaking legs and immediately reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pants pocket. It wasn't until he had almost lit the thing that he realized that he couldn't smoke. He swore and put the cigarette away.

"What did he say, Sunshine?" Brian asked when Justin reached the jeep. Brian had dropped Justin off before running a few errands and coming back to pick the blond up again. Justin had been sick for a couple weeks and this was his second appointment with the doctor in less than a week.

"He said I'm pregnant," Justin said in a low whisper that didn't sound entirely sure that what he was saying could be right.

Brian was sure that he had heard incorrectly. He had to have. But he hadn't and he knew that he hadn't. So he said the first thing that popped into his head without even really considering what he was asking. "So who's the father?"

Justin turned wide and hurt eyes on Brian and the brunet knew he had fucked up immediately.

"Fuck you, Brian," Justin said.

The rest of the ride to the loft was spent in silence. Justin's hurt faded and was replaced by anger and he was glad for the change. Anger he could handle. It helped him cope with all the insane thoughts that were running through his head. It pushed the fear and anxiety and confusion to the side and took up all of Justin's focus and energy. By the time they reached the elevator to the loft, Justin was itching for a screaming match.

Brian, on the other hand, was cursing himself for his stupid outburst. He knew that Justin only bottomed for him. It was part of their agreement. They could both fuck whoever they wanted, but Justin's ass belonged to Brian. And on that rare occasion when Brian was willing, his ass belonged to Justin. His blond twink was a shitty liar, so Brian would have known if there had been anyone else. The real question was when and how had it happened. They were both always so careful. In the meantime, Brian had to find a way to apologize to Justin without actually apologizing.

The loft door slid closed behind the pair and the silence was heavy between them. Justin slumped onto the sofa and stared at the papers in his hands. "Shit."

"What?" Brian asked.

"I forgot about the prescriptions," Justin said as he wearily got back up. He'd have to walk to the pharmacy. There was no way he was getting back into the jeep with Brian.

"Can't they wait?" Brian asked. "You look tired."

Justin glared at Brian. "Sure they can wait. And I'll just use your Gucci loafers to catch the vomit when I spend my morning puking again."

Brian took the prescriptions from Justin's hand and stood up. "You stay. I'll go get them filled."

Justin flopped back on the sofa and Brian sighed as he headed out the door.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Justin lay on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. After Brian had left, he had read through the papers the doctor had given him. He now had a whole list of things he had to avoid. Giving up cigarettes and alcohol wouldn't be the toughest thing for him; it was giving up the coffee that would probably kill him.

Somewhere along the way, his ire over Brian's callous remark had dimmed somewhat and he was a little more receptive to his partner's feeble attempts to make it up to him when Brian returned with not only the prescriptions but a box of Justin's favorite chocolates and a bag of greasy kettle chips—neither of which Brian would ever normally buy for Justin.

Brian handed the treats over before heading to the kitchen and getting them drinks. "Um… I think there's herbal tea in here somewhere. Or juice."

"According to the pamphlets, I should be drinking more milk," Justin said. "But honestly, just water would be fine for now."

Brian brought back two bottles of water and sat down on the sofa beside Justin. "So?"

"So," Justin agreed with a smirk.

"Are you…?"

"Keeping it?" Justin supplied. "Yeah. I can't imagine…"

"Okay," Brian said.

"This doesn't have to change anything," Justin said.

Brian snorted in disbelief. "It's going to change everything."

Justin moved to protest but thought better of it. "Yeah, I guess it will."

"So, the question is, how are we going to handle those changes?" Brian asked.

Brian was comfortable with his life. He had everything he had ever wanted and a few things he hadn't known he wanted until he had them, like Justin and Gus. He had almost lost Justin over that Ethan fiasco a few years back, but he had come to his senses before Justin could actually walk away from him. Since then, Brian had slowly accepted Justin's place in his life and his heart and tried to keep things good for Justin so that he wouldn't consider leaving again. He had spent way too much time and money visiting California when Justin had been there for the failed movie deal just so that the blond would remember that he had a reason to come home. And when he had been diagnosed with cancer, Brian had gone against every instinct and had told Justin about it and let him help. Brian was not ready to give up Justin, but he wasn't sure he was prepared for the changes that would come either.

"I'm not even sure what those changes are," Justin said. "Right now, all I seem to be able to think about are the immediate concerns."

"No more drugs, booze or cigarettes for you," Brian said with a teasing smirk.

"No caffeine," Justin said with a groan.

Brian winced. Justin without caffeine in the mornings could be a scary thing. His normally perky and peppy blond turned into a growling bear without a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. And not the cute and cuddly type of bear. "Maybe if you cut back to one cup a day?"

Justin smirked at Brian, knowing that he was just as afraid of a decaffeinated Justin as Justin was himself. "I'll ask the obstetrician when I go. I called and set up an appointment for next week."

Brian nodded and they were both silent for a time. "We're going to need a bigger place," Brian eventually said as he looked around the loft.

Justin nodded. "Yeah."

"We are not joining the ranks of Stepford fags," Brian said adamantly. "We'll find a place as sexy as we are."

"Okay," Justin said with a grin. "I'm not sure what that means, but okay."

"We're going to need childcare," Brian said. He took Justin's feet onto his lap and began to massage them. "I was thinking either a live-in nanny or an au pair."

"Maybe for the first couple years," Justin said. "But kids need socialization, don't they?"

Brian shrugged. "I'm sure you'll read every book ever written on parenting between now and when the kid comes, so I guess we'll find out." Brian paused and squeezed Justin's foot. "Are you okay?'

Justin looked at Brian and sighed. "I think so. I'm still kind of in shock, you know?"

Brian sucked his lips between his teeth and then gave Justin a small smirk. "Yeah I know. But we're in this together."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Brian waited until Justin was sleeping and crept from their bed to go sit on the sofa and drink copious quantities of Jim Beam. He had meant everything he said to Justin earlier, they were in this together, but Brian wasn't quite as confident of his ability to adapt to a change this big as he had led the twink to believe. It was one thing to be a part time father to Gus. It was something else entirely to take on the full time care of an infant. It was one thing to let Justin into his life, and even cut back his tricking for the blond. It was something else to think of becoming a family man. No matter what he had said about not becoming a Stepford fag, it seemed like fate was dragging him in that direction against his will.

He was on his third glass of JB when he felt familiar arms wrap around him from behind. "I don't expect you to change, Brian. You are who you are, and that's the man I fell in love with."

Brian sighed and set the half empty glass aside before pulling Justin around and into his lap. He kissed his partner and then lay back. Justin's head was on his shoulder and they just sort of curled into each other.

"We'll redefine family the same way we redefined relationship," Justin said. "We'll figure out what works for us and fuck the rest of the world's expectations."

"Let's go back to bed," Brian said and kissed Justin again. When the blond said things like that, the only way Brian knew how to respond was to show him how much he fucking loved this kid who had taken over his world. And so that's what he did.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Justin went to the obstetrician a few days later and Brian decided to go with him. They found out that Justin was 10 weeks into the pregnancy and that their baby looked to be healthy so far. They also found out that Justin was due in late November and that he likely got pregnant around Valentine's Day. Brian had snorted when he heard that. They had celebrated that particular holiday with a small orgy at the loft. Ten men all fucking and sucking for hours, and of course, Brian and Justin had fucked numerous times that evening: both each other and several of the other attendees.

"Well, it may not be the most romantic conception ever, but it is pretty fitting," Justin had said in response to Brian's amusement.

Justin decided against telling anyone straight away. He said it had something to do with the chances of miscarriage dropping drastically after the first trimester. Brian thought that was a rather dumb excuse since if Justin miscarried he would want the support of at least his mother and Debbie, but he figured that Justin had other reasons that he wasn't ready to share so he went along with Justin's wishes. They also set about looking for a new place with Jennifer's help. Not being able to explain the need for the move proved interesting.

"I still don't see why you feel the need to get a larger place," Jennifer said as she showed Brian and Justin yet another house that was completely ill-suited for them. "Nor what the rush is. I thought you both loved the loft."

"We do," Justin said. "But I'd like a place where I could have my studio at home instead of having to drive across town whenever inspiration strikes. And I think Brian's getting tired of trying to work when I'm watching TV or listening to music. Besides, Brian's wardrobe outgrew the loft's only closet years ago. There's really no room for my clothes, or even all of his."

"You sure this house won't do?" Jennifer asked Brian. Brian gave her a look and she sighed. "There aren't a lot of 'sexy' houses in Pittsburgh, Brian."

"Then think outside of the box," Brian told her, "like you did with Kinnetik."

That was how they ended up walking through a boarded up neighborhood library near Liberty Avenue a couple days later. It had been built in the sixties and had very modern architectural details and was in fairly decent structural condition despite having been closed for almost five years due to budgetary cutbacks. The main room of the library was lit by a two-story wall of windows. The glass itself was semi-transparent decorative glass etched with a cross-hatch pattern and all the panes seemed to be in good condition.

The main part of that central room was at least as large as the loft with several skylights. There was a balcony above that had once held part of the stacks of books that had more skylights and a wide floating staircase—made from wood with a single steel support and glass barriers along the railings—connecting it to the main floor. Below the balcony there were more stacks. The only closed off spaces were down the hall to the left of the front door: the restrooms, what had once been the children's reading room, a small conference room and the library offices which extended under one section of the balcony.

"I thought that you could convert the space upstairs into bedrooms," Jennifer said. "And Brian could keep the office for his work. And Justin, you have to see the lighting in the children's section. It would be a perfect space for a studio. It has a wall of etched-glass windows just like this room as well as more skylights."

"It would take a lot of work to convert this into a house," Justin said warily, but Brian was grinning as he imagined the possibilities.

"What about outdoor spaces?" Brian asked.

Jennifer showed them the outdoor courtyard nestled behind the offices, between the children's section and the stacks. It was a huge walled in garden with lots of greenery that had grown wild over the years, but there was plenty of room and potential there. There was even space to put in a patio and play set eventually. There was a small iron gate in one of the ivy covered walls that led to the small parking area and Brian could imagine coming home at the end of a long day to find Justin and their child playing out there. For the first time, Brian was filled with something other than dread when considering the future with their child.

"Let me get the architect who did the loft in here," Brian said. "See what he thinks. But I think this just might be the place."

"I love it, Brian, but will it take very long to do the conversion?" Justin asked with concern. He loved the place as much as Brian but he was worried that they wouldn't be able to finish the renovations before the baby came.

"We won't know until we talk to Clark," Brian said. "If it takes too long we can consider other options, okay?'

Justin nodded, but Jennifer said nothing. She was pretty sure that Brian would make it happen even if he had to pay a fortune to the contractors in overtime. He wanted this property. She had seen the same look in his eyes when she had shown him the baths that now housed Kinnetik.


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

Clark owed Brian a favor, so he went to tour the library the next day and then Justin and Brian sat down with him and determined that, since they weren't making any major structural changes, just adding in some walls and a kitchen, they could indeed complete the renovation in the time before the baby arrived. They would be cutting things close with the decorating, but the architect thought that they could work it. And since Brian and Justin both loved the space, it would be worth it in the end. The location of the library was perfect, not far from either Kinnetik or Liberty Ave, yet on a quiet side street that wouldn't be unsafe for their child. And the space itself was modern and yet had the potential to be very homey. So Justin agreed, the purchase was rushed through at record speed and the work began.

Not long after the contractors began work on the library renovation, Justin realized for the first time that his pants were getting too tight.

"Brian," Justin whined as he tried for the third time to button up his jeans. "Help me with this."

Brian walked up to the bedroom with a frown. He hadn't noticed Justin's body changing all that much, but as he tried to help Justin button up his pants, he realized that his lover's once flat belly was now protruding. Rather than worrying about buttoning the pants, Brian ran his hand over the small bulge and then leaned forward to kiss it. That was their baby in there.

"We just need to get you some new clothes." Brian finally said. "Put on some sweats for now and we'll go out to the mall in Ross Park. There's a maternity shop there that carries a line for men."

Justin huffed in annoyance—he did not like the idea of getting so big that he outgrew everything he owned—but did as Brian suggested. He was not looking forward to wearing whatever fashion was deemed appropriate for pregnant men. But he figured anything was better than wearing sweatpants every day. Soon, even his sweats wouldn't fit comfortably any longer. "I don't want to get fat," Justin said with a pout.

"Too late to worry about that now," Brian said with a smirk. "You should have thought of that before you got knocked up."

Justin stuck his tongue out at his lover in response.

Soon they had driven to the mall and were browsing through the men's section of the maternity shop. Brian held up a very unfashionable red and green striped rugby shirt with stretchy side panels and cringed. "We'll get you a couple things here, but then we're going home to look online. There has got to be something better than this out there somewhere."

Justin had to agree with him as he pulled out a pair of jeans with a stretchy insert at the belly. He ended up buying a couple pairs of jeans along with a few long sleeved t-shirts from that store and figured that they would be good enough to paint in once they got something better online. Once they had left the store, Justin dragged a protesting Brian over to the food court and ordered a dozen chocolate chip cookies and a dozen sugar cookies. He ate three from the bag while they waited for a table at the steak house that was located just outside the mall.

"No wonder your pants don't fit anymore Sunshine," Brian muttered as Justin reached for a fourth cookie.

Justin frowned and put the cookies away. "Fuck you. I'm eating for two."

Brian rolled his eyes.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

"More coffee?" Debbie asked Justin. They had gone to the diner for breakfast a few weeks later. It was a Saturday morning and Brian and Justin were both rather tired from a late night at Babylon. Of course, Brian was hung over and so felt worse than Justin, but Justin was still tired and cranky and couldn't drink his usual six cups of coffee. He had been limited to one cup a day and he'd already had it.

"Can't," Justin pouted.

Debbie raised her eyebrows at that. "Why not?"

Brian and Justin, both still slightly out of it, realized at the same time what Justin had said. They shared a long look. They were only a week from Justin's arbitrary deadline for telling their news.

"Justin's doctor said he can only have one cup a day," Brian said after their silent conversation.

"Doctor? Is there something wrong, Sunshine?" Debbie asked with concern. She shoved Brian to the side and sat down next to him before grabbing Justin's hand.

Justin put his other hand on top of hers and smiled. "Nothing that won't right itself in a few months."

Debbie looked confused so Brian said, "Justin's pregnant."

"He's what?" Debbie all but screeched.

"Hey, keep it down," Brian muttered as he rubbed his abused ear. "We haven't told anyone yet, so don't go spreading it about."

"Just until I get a chance to tell my mom," Justin said.

"Shit, baby! This is the best news I've heard in forever," Debbie said with a huge smile. "How far along are you? How long have you known?"

"I'm at 18 weeks," Justin said. "And we've known for a couple months now. I just wanted to wait a little while before we told anyone. I wanted to get used to the idea first." Brian thought that he had wanted to give him time to adjust to the idea as well, and he was grateful for that.

"So that's why you are renovating and getting ready to move," Debbie said. "Jennifer and I had wondered."

"Seriously Deb," Brian said. "Keep this under wraps until we get a chance to tell Jennifer?"

"Alright, alright," Debbie said with annoyance. "I won't say anything. But you better tell her soon. We've got a shower to plan!"

Debbie wandered off when another table started complaining about their check and Brian turned to Justin. "You know she's not going to be able to keep this to herself, right?"

"Yeah," Justin sighed. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed his mother's number. "Hey mom, I was wondering if you had a few minutes to have lunch with me and Brian today? We have something we need to tell you."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Jennifer took the news well. In fact, she was ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a grandmother. She had even hugged Brian in her joy and she was already on the phone with Debbie planning for the baby shower before lunch was finished. Not everyone was quite as happy for the couple, however. Michael, as usual, deemed it necessary to point out every perceived flaw in both men and every stumble their relationship had taken over the years. And he wasn't even the worst.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Lindsay to Justin over dinner a few days later. "Brian isn't… Brian just isn't cut out to be a full time father."

Justin held back his immediate anger and said, "I think you're wrong. I think Brian is more than capable of being a wonderful full-time father. He's been great with Gus and you have no idea how difficult it is for him to let Gus go every time he takes him for a day. You have no idea how much time he spends worrying about his son and trying to make sure that Gus will know how much he cares about him. You have no idea how much he loves that little boy."

"If he loved him so much, he never would have given up his rights," Melanie said coolly.

Justin glared at her. "He did that for _you_. I would think you would be a little more grateful and a little less bitter about the whole thing. It would certainly be better for your son if you could at least pretend to respect his father—a father Gus happens to love. And Gus is going to have another sibling soon. Brian is already trying to make sure that Gus understands that it won't change how he feels for him. It would be helpful if you were just as encouraging."

"Justin, we don't doubt that Brian cares about Gus," Lindsay said in a placating tone, though Justin noted she didn't say loves. "We are just concerned that neither of you have given any real consideration as to how this is going to affect your lives. Brian is not known to give up his… diversions… for anything or anyone."

Justin snorted in disgust. "You really don't know him at all, do you?"

"Justin," Lindsay said and her voice was suddenly like nails n a chalkboard to his ears. "We just don't want you to be disappointed when Brian can't live up to your expectations."

"Save it," Justin said as he rose from the table. "The truth is neither of you have ever had faith in either Brian or our relationship. But we've been together for six years now, despite the negativity from you and everyone else. And we'll prove you wrong again with this baby. I just hope you refrain from poisoning Gus's mind against Brian with all this shit."

Justin walked out without finishing his meal. He was so angry with those two women right then. He knew that things would be hard for him and Brian. He knew that Brian had a difficult time with changes. He knew that Brian was already filled with insecurities about his ability to be a father. But the fact that his friends couldn't be more supportive, couldn't have faith even when Brian had doubts, pissed him off. _**He**_ knew that Brian was a wonderful father to Gus. _**He**_ knew that Brian would be a wonderful father to their child. Even if no one else did.

Rather than heading straight back to the loft, Justin headed for the grocery store. He had barely touched his dinner at the munchers' and he was starving. It was probably a bad idea to go shopping when he was that hungry, because an hour later, Justin walked into the loft with bags filled with more junk than Brian could ever remember seeing in one place before.

"What is all this shit?" Brian asked as he took some of the bags from Justin.

Justin shrugged. "I was hungry."

Brian set his bags on the counter and pulled out a bag of Oreos followed by three different kinds of chips. "Justin."

Justin ignored him and continued to put the food away. "I refuse to starve just because _your_ friends are bitches."

" _My_ friends?" Brian stepped up behind his lover and wrapped his arms around him. "What did the munchers say to piss you off enough to buy all this shit that you know isn't good for you or the baby?"

"I wasn't going to eat it all at once," Justin sighed as he leaned into Brian's embrace. "And they just spouted more of the same bullshit as usual."

Brian nodded and kissed Justin's temple. "Well, if you know it's bullshit, why let it upset you like this?"

Justin shrugged before turning in Brian's arms and burying his face in his shoulder. "I just hate how little faith they have in us, in you. Them, Michael, Ted… Only Debbie and Emmett have really been supportive about the baby. They are supposed to be our friends, but they act like… they act like we're candidates for the worst parents in the history of the world."

"So we'll prove them wrong," Brian said. He kissed Justin's forehead and held him a little tighter. "Come on, go get dressed. We're going out tonight while we still can. We'll get something to eat and then we're going to dance and fuck and forget all about the munchers."

Justin gave Brian a wry smile. "You think a few tricks will take my mind off everything?"

"Of course," Brian said with a smirk. "Now, let's go out while we can still be spontaneous and don't need a babysitter."

Justin nodded and rushed off to the bedroom to dress for a night at Babylon.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Pregnancy certainly wreaked havoc on Justin's sexual appetite. He was a hormonal mess. Not only was he more emotional than usual—he literally cried over spilled milk, much to Brian's amusement—but he was so horny that even Brian was getting tired of the constant sexual demands. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy sex with Justin every time; it was just that even the Stud of Liberty Avenue could only fuck so many times in one day. And the two times Brian had tried to plead exhaustion, Justin had wound up in tears, declaring that Brian must think he was hideous now that he was showing more. It was for that reason more than anything else that Brian began dragging the blond to Babylon on an almost nightly basis.

Despite Justin's belief that he was getting too fat to attract tricks, the men at Babylon seemed willing and eager to blow him or let him fuck them. Perhaps it was the novelty of being fucked by a pregnant man. Brian didn't believe that was the reason, however; Justin looked really fucking hot with his rounded belly and still gorgeous ass. Thankfully, between the dancing and the sex, Justin was almost always tired out enough to actually sleep when they got home. At least he was after one final round of sex with Brian.

"Dancing and physical exercise are okay, right?" Brian asked the obstetrician on their next visit. "Because Justin's been _really_ active and energetic lately. So we've been dancing and fucking like mad. Justin's been a lot hornier than usual, and that's saying something."

The man chuckled at Brian's peculiarly worded concern. "It's quite normal for a person in their second trimester to become more sexually active. It will slow down as the pregnancy progresses. Right now, Justin simply has an excess of hormones and it's increasing his sexual appetite. Sex, dancing—really any sort of physical exercise—is okay as long as he feels up to it. But Justin, if you begin to feel tired or sore or at all uncomfortable, slow down and assess how you are feeling, okay? And if you feel any pain at all, stop altogether."

"I will," Justin said. "I'm just glad that I'm not tired all the time like I was before. The afternoon naps are okay, but falling asleep at the dinner table was embarrassing."

The doctor chuckled again and brought the sonogram machine over to the exam table where Justin was sitting. "So you ready to find out the sex of the baby?"

"More than," Justin said. "My mother has been hounding me since the last appointment. She wants to start buying things for the baby."

A few minutes later, they had their answer. "A boy?" Brian said with awe as he watched the little monitor. He couldn't really make out what the doctor was seeing. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," the doctor said with a smile.

"We're going to have a son," Justin whispered.

"And Gus will have a little brother," Brian said.

 


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

"Have you seen the way they've been acting lately?" Michael asked the group of friends gathered at the diner one Saturday morning. "They spend almost every night at Babylon tricking. How can either of them think they're ready to be parents?"

"It seems to me that they're just having a last hoorah before settling down," Emmett said. "I mean, pretty soon they'll have to get a babysitter to have a night out. I would take advantage of the final days of freedom too if I was in their place. Besides, I read that pregnant people get really horny during the second trimester. I'm sure that's played a part in all this."

"Besides, it's not like they're drinking or drugging like they might have in the past," Ted put in. "I mean, sure Justin has to cut all that stuff out for the baby, but Brian doesn't. Yet he hasn't had more than one drink any night I've seen him lately and he hasn't done _any_ drugs."

"So what? You think that Brian's just going to settle down like a normal person once the baby's here?" Melanie asked in disbelief.

"He's made so many cracks about Stepford fags, I just can't see him giving in even if there's a kid at stake," Michael said. "If he does, then he's a hypocrite."

"You don't want him to settle down, do you?" Emmett asked as he glanced at Ben who looked interested in hearing Michael's response. Michael refused to say anything, so Emmett went on, "You don't want him to grow up and find happiness. I thought that Justin was being hormonal when he said that, but he wasn't. It's true. None of you want Brian to change. Well, guess what, he already has changed. He's in a committed relationship and he's going to be a father… again. He's not the same man he was before Justin."

"He hasn't changed," Lindsay denied. "Look how often he goes out. Look at how much he tricks!"

"When was the last time he brought one of those tricks home?" Emmett said. "When was the last time he went tricking without Justin right beside him? When was the last time he did something completely reckless?"

"Not since he got Justin back from that violin player," Debbie said. She had come with their food and heard the tail end of the conversation. "I don't understand why you folks can't see the way Justin has changed Brian, but it's pretty obvious to me. And it's all for the good. Just look at that house he's building for Sunshine."

"What house?" Melanie asked.

Emmett and Debbie exchanged a look. "He's renovating that old library on Spring Street into a house for them. From what Justin tells me, it's going to be beautiful. They'll have a nursery for the baby, a room for Gus and even a room for Jenny if she ever wants to stay over with her brothers."

"There's a huge walled garden where the kids can have a swing set, too," Debbie put in. "I think you underestimate how much Brian loves Justin and how much he loves his kids… both of them."

"Brian will never be a normal father," Lindsay said quietly.

"Normal is overrated," Debbie shot back at her.

"Brian and Justin are going to make their family their way," Emmett said. "Just like their relationship is unique to them. They may never be Stepford fags, as Brian calls it, but they will make sure that their kids are happy. And I think you should all be a bit more supportive and a lot less critical. I don't think any of you can claim to be perfect."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Brian looked around the all-night mini-mart and sighed. This was the fifth store he had been to since Justin had insisted that he couldn't live another moment without rocky road ice cream and not a single one of them had any. Brian picked up his cell phone and dialed the loft. Justin answered after the third ring.

"Brian?"

"There's no rocky road to be had in a five mile radius," Brian grumbled. "Pick another flavor."

"Oh," Justin said. It was clear that he was disappointed. "Well, I guess whatever they have will be fine."

Brian rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe he was out at two in the morning hunting for ice cream. Even worse, he couldn't believe he actually felt guilty because he couldn't find the shit. "I'll do what I can."

"Just come home," Justin said. "I miss you."

"I'll be back soon," Brian promised.

Fifteen minutes later, he found Justin sitting on the sofa watching some old black and white gangster movie. Since he had reached his seventh month, the baby had really begun causing Justin problems sleeping. His back ached, he couldn't get comfortable, and just when he was about to fall asleep, the kid would do something like kick his bladder. Brian felt like it was the least he could do to make Justin as comfortable as he could. If that meant chasing down ice cream in the middle of the night or sitting up all night watching cheesy movies, Brian would do it.

"No rocky road," Brian told his partner as he set down the bag from the store. "But I got chocolate ice cream and I figure we can add our own marshmallow, fudge and nuts." He pulled out the various jars and the ice cream.

Justin levered himself up from the sofa and shuffled over to the kitchen to look over the offering. With a tear in his eye, Justin wrapped his arms around Brian and kissed him deeply. "I love you."

"You better," Brian teased. "The shit I do for you."

"Put the ice cream in the freezer and come fuck me," Justin instructed as he shuffled up to the bedroom.

Brian stared at his ass and debated for less than a second before putting the ice cream in the freezer and following Justin to bed. "You had better eat that shit."

"After you fuck me," Justin promised and pulled Brian on top of him.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

The house was finally finished a couple weeks after the ice cream incident and Brian picked Justin up from his studio so that they could go over and see the completed renovation. They had been working with a decorator for a while and she had started moving furnishings into the rooms as the painters completed each room, so now everything was finished and it was ready for them to move in.

The first thing that Justin noticed when Brian pulled into the parking area to the left of the building was that a three car garage had been added, taking up about half of that space. The next thing he noticed was that the landscapers had done a great job with the flower beds and shrubs; so good, in fact, that the structure now actually looked more like a home than a repurposed public building. The exterior had gotten a face lift as well. The tan bricks and the vertical steel siding had been sandblasted and now looked almost brand new. The trim had been painted royal blue and new doors had been installed and painted blue as well.

Once inside, the whole feel of the space had changed and been warmed up. The huge main room was still large and open to the second floor, but the bright colors Justin had chosen to paint the various areas of the room helped to not only define the spaces but made it feel more welcoming. The main floor was now set up as the great room with the kitchen positioned where the checkout desk and offices had once been.

Below the balcony, the contractors had sectioned off rooms, but each room was separated by walls of drywall and glass brick insets, with movable glass walls—etched with a cross hatch pattern like the windows—separating them from the main room which allowed the space to continue to feel open and airy. There was a media room, a dining room, an office for Brian, a small exercise room and even a play room for the baby and Gus. That room already had a large television, a game system and a computer set up for Gus to use.

The side hall where the bathrooms, conference room and children's section had been was still sectioned off from the rest of the home. The restrooms and conference room were gone and had been transformed into a small apartment for the live in nanny that they were going to hire. The children's library, as Jennifer had suggested, was now a perfect studio. The wall of windows that overlooked the parking area had now been joined by a second wall of windows and French doors that overlooked the courtyard. There was also access to the courtyard from the kitchen and Brian's office.

Upstairs, the balcony, which had been lined with open metal rails, was now lined with clear glass barriers that matched those on the stairs. They contributed to the open and airy feeling in the room and would be safer for the baby. Brian had even had mountings put in at the top and bottom of the stairs so that they could put in baby gates later. The rooms up there were large and had plenty of windows to let in the light, including more glass block inserts in various random patterns along the balcony wall. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom for the kids as well as the master suite. The master suite had a small balcony that overlooked the courtyard and there was a huge modern bathroom and a walk in closet that was larger than their bedroom at the loft.

The furnishings for all the rooms were in place except for the few things that would be moved over from the loft. The nursery had all of the major furniture in place, but they hadn't yet gotten any of the smaller items that would turn the room into a cozy space for their baby.

"It's perfect," Justin said once they had taken the complete tour.

"The only thing left to do is move the rest of our shit in," Brian said. "That and put in a swing set and patio but that will wait until spring, I think."

"When are the movers coming?" Justin asked as they went back out to Brian's car. He knew his lover well enough to know that he would have already set up everything.

"Friday and Saturday," Brian said. "That will give us Sunday to settle in. They'll pack and unpack everything. We'll just need to supervise and make sure everything goes where it should. Then the closing on the loft is next week."

Jennifer had waited to put the loft on the market until the house was almost complete, but as soon as she had, there were several offers. Now it was just a matter of closing the sale and moving out. Justin, at 36 weeks pregnant was more than ready.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

"Where the fuck is my laptop?" Brian shouted from his office on Sunday. They had spent Friday and Saturday nights at a hotel after working with the movers all day, and were now trying to settle into the house.

Justin smirked. "It's in the box marked Brian's laptop and accessories. On top of the print station."

Justin went back to organizing the kitchen. The movers had done a good job on most of their belongings, but the men who moved them had no idea how to organize a kitchen. Brian had already organized their new closet and was now working on his office, which he hadn't allowed them to touch. Justin had done his studio first.

Brian emerged from the office a few minutes later. He leaned against the counter and watched Justin put the last of the dishes into the cupboard. "When is that shower thing?"

"Saturday," Justin said. "My mother and Debbie expect you to be there."

"Fuck," Brian muttered.

"It's going to be here," Justin said. "So you can show your face for a little while and then use Gus as an excuse to hide in the play room. Besides, all the guys are coming. It won't just be Daphne and a bunch of other women."

Brian grunted. "You almost finished here?"

"This is the last, why?"

"Because I thought we could go christen our new bed," Brian said.

"I thought we did that this morning," Justin said with a smirk. Brian's first priority upon entering their home was to take Justin upstairs and fuck him in their new bed.

"Then we'll christen that soaker tub you insisted was essential to our lives," Brian shrugged.

Justin rubbed his aching back. "Actually a bath sounds good. Maybe it will get the kinks out of my back."

"I can help you with any kinks," Brian said with a leer.

Justin laughed. "I'm sure you can. Come on, stud."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

"Come on Gus, JR," Brian said as soon as Lindsay and Melanie showed up at the party the next weekend. "Let's go check out the play room."

"I should have known you would find an excuse to get out of this," Debbie muttered as she watched Brian carry his giggling son over one shoulder and a squealing JR over the other. Michael followed close behind his best friend, leaving Ben to face the party alone.

"The house is gorgeous," Lindsay told Justin as he took her coat to be hung up in the coat closet. All of the movable glass walls downstairs were open to show off the various rooms—all but the playroom where Brian was hiding, that is.

"It did turn out pretty great," Justin said with a bright smile. "Brian thought of everything. I'll have to show you my studio later."

There were soon more than thirty people, both women and gay men, all gathered in the living room and Justin was forced to play silly games. As he sat with a goofy hat on his head, Justin wished that _he_ was able to disappear into the play room with Brian and Gus. Brian had looked out from the playroom a couple times and smirked when he saw what Justin was forced to endure and Justin had flipped him the bird.

Once the games were over, Justin was happy to be able to finally eat some of the food Emmett had brought and then open some of the gifts. The most interesting part of the party was listening as some of the women told stories about when they were pregnant or when their children were babies—though Justin could have done without his mother's embarrassing tales of his own childhood.

Finally, Justin was free to give tours of their new house while the guests mingled. It was then that Brian finally emerged from his hiding place and began to interact with the men and women who had attended. He was proud to show off their new home.

Eventually the guests began to leave and soon only Justin, Brian, Debbie and Jennifer were left cleaning up.

"You got a lot of very nice presents," Jennifer commented.

"We're taking that hideous blue bear back to the store," Brian told them all. "What the fuck was that woman thinking? That thing will give out kid nightmares."

"Shelly meant well," Justin said with a shrug, but he agreed with Brian. The bear had to go. Shelly had been in a few of Justin's classes at PIFA, but they weren't particularly close so he didn't feel all that bad about returning her gift. It was less of a toy than it was an artistic representation of a teddy bear, with ugly mottled blue fur in various shades and eyes that looked psychotic. It was like some sort of Frankenstein bear.

"When in doubt, stick to the registry," Jennifer advised wisely.

"I think we got most of what was on the registry," Justin told them. Jennifer had bought the stroller Justin had picked out and Debbie had gotten them the car seat that matched. Emmett and Ted had gone together to buy the high chair and Ben and Michael had gotten the monkey bedding set that Justin had picked out to match the jungle mural in the room.

"Well, I have to say, this place is huge," Debbie said. "You two are going to have to start hosting some of the holidays. There's getting to be too many people to fit into my tiny living room."

"We'll take Easter," Brian said. "Thanksgiving is too close to Justin's due date and I'm not volunteering for Christmas with a brand new baby."

"That you're willing to take any holiday is actually surprising," Jennifer said. "We can have Thanksgiving at my place this year. There's a community room we can use that will hold everyone. I'll make the reservation."

"That's great," Debbie said with a smile. "If that works out, maybe we could do Christmas there as well."

"Or Ben and Michael could host Christmas," Brian said. "They have enough room. It's about time they began pulling their weight."

"That's an idea," Jennifer said.

"And we can have Christmas here next year," Justin said. "It will force Brian to let me decorate."

Brian rolled his eyes at that.

"So, only a month left," Jennifer said. "Are you both ready?"

"As ready as we can be," Brian said. "I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for 3 am feedings and dirty diapers."

"We're ready," Justin said. "I'm _very_ ready. I can't wait to get this kid out of me."

"Kid likes to dance, just like his daddies," Brian said with a smirk.

"Well, he can dance all he wants as long as it isn't on my kidneys," Justin groused.

"How anyone can think you two won't make great parents is beyond me," Debbie said wryly.


	4. Part Four

**Part Four**

Thanksgiving came and went and Justin hadn't yet gone into labor. The beginning of December rolled around and soon it was almost two weeks past Justin's due date and he still hadn't gone into labor. Justin was getting more and more irritable and frustrated. And the more irritable Justin was, the more irritable Brian became. They were both more than ready to let the doctor induce labor.

So on the morning of December 8, Justin and Brian checked into the hospital and the doctor administered the drugs that would induce labor. The burn of the pitocin in Justin's blood was quite uncomfortable, but he thought it would be worth it to get his son out of him already. Even with the drugs, however, Justin's baby boy decided to take his time. His labor was slow and prolonged and extremely painful. And through it all, Brian stayed by Justin's side and tried to keep him calm and relaxed, despite his own anxiety.

After nearly 20 hours of non-productive labor, the doctor decided it was time to just go in and get the baby out. Again, Brian was right by Justin's side as the doctor cut an incision into Justin's abdomen and pushed and prodded the baby from Justin's body. Brian watched with horrified fascination as his son came into the world. He was a gray and slimy mess at first with splotches of blood all over. But he cried almost as soon as he was out and soon enough he was being taken aside to be cleaned up. Brian held Justin's hand and told him how proud of him he was while the doctor sewed up the incision and then the surgical team cleaned up Justin as well.

It was around noon on the 9th when Brian called Jennifer and Debbie and told them that they could come meet their grandson. The two women showed up at the same time to find a very tired Justin holding a baby swaddled tightly in a blue receiving blanket. "Mom, Debbie, I'd like for you to meet Max Anthony Taylor Kinney."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

"Brian, it's your turn to get up with him," Justin groaned as he heard Max crying through the monitor. Brian grunted and rolled over. "Brian!"

"Huh- Wha-?"

"Your turn to get Max," Justin told him.

Brian grumbled a little bit, but he slowly got out of bed and pulled on his sweats before stumbling out of the room. A few minutes later, Justin could hear Brian cooing softly to Max through the monitor. Justin smiled to himself as he listened to Brian's one-sided commentary on the state of Max's diaper and his consistently poor timing. Max really did have bad timing when it came to letting his parents sleep.

A few minutes later, Max having been changed and fed, Brian returned to their bed and curled up beside his partner. "Merry Christmas, twat. I know you're awake."

Justin chuckled. "Merry Christmas, Brian."

"Know what I want from Santa this year?" Brian asked as he pressed his erection into Justin's hip and stroked his hands down the blond's chest. Justin had been cleared by the doctor for sex just the day before and Justin thought that Brian deserved a bit of a reward for his patience.

"I can guess," Justin said. "Since you've been such a good boy this year, I think I can arrange for you to get your Christmas wish."

"Aren't you just the perfect Santa's helper," Brian leered as he rolled Justin to face him and then pressed the blond into the mattress with his body.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

"So is this really my brother?" Gus asked Brian the next day at Michael and Ben's house. Brian was holding Max in one arm while Gus sat on his lap. It wasn't the first time that Gus had met Max, but he still seemed a little unsure about how to take the baby. "He's really small."

"Do you remember when JR was that small?" Brian asked.

Gus shrugged. "I guess so. He's gonna get bigger though, right? So we'll be able to play games and stuff together? 'Cause Jenny likes dolls a lot more than games."

"He's definitely going to get bigger," Brian assured his son. "And I'm sure he'll want to play all sorts of games with you."

"Cool," Gus said. He climbed down from Brian's lap and ran over to Lindsay. "Hey Mom! Did you see my new brother?"

Justin smiled at Brian. "I think he's going to be okay with Max in time."

"I hope so," Brian said. "Here, take Max. I want to go talk to Lindsay for a few minutes."

Justin took the baby from Brian and then took Brian's seat. He was feeling a lot better, but he still got tired. It took a lot longer to heal from a c-section than it would have if he had been able to give birth naturally. The good news was that he had been cleared to begin exercising so he could finally start shedding some of the weight that he'd gained while pregnant. His ass may still be perfect—according to Brian—but his abs were far from ideal these days.

Brian returned a little later and took Max back. "Gus and JR are going to spend the night on Friday."

"That's great," Justin said enthusiastically. He very much wanted Gus and JR to be a part of Max's life. And Brian's.

"We'll see," Brian said. "Mel's convinced we can't be trusted to care for her baby, but JR wants to come with Gus."

"Melanie will get over it," Justin said quietly. "And she'll see we're not the horrible influence she thinks."

Ben was attempting to get everyone to sing Christmas carols and Justin smirked. He knew that Brian would find an excuse for them to leave before anything so cheesy could actually happen. So he wasn't surprised to find Brian announcing to the group that Max needed to go home so that he could be in bed on time.

On the way out to the car Brian smirked at Justin. "Never realized how convenient it was to have a kid for ready excuses. Not even Debbie objected to us leaving early."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Friday night, Brian and Justin took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese and they all had a great time. Well, the kids and Justin had a great time. Brian spent most of the time grousing about the food, the noise, and pretty much everything else. But, despite the complaints, he was right there playing all the games with Gus and JR, insisting that Justin sit with Max. Justin smiled at his lover and kept his thoughts to himself as he watched Brian act like a little kid one minute and then try to play it off once he returned to the table a little later.

Back at the house, Justin had put Max to bed and then they had all settled down to watch the latest Disney video in the media room. When that was finished, Brian and Justin helped the kids get ready for bed. JR and Gus both loved their rooms, though JR wasn't quite ready to sleep alone in the new place, so she bunked in with Gus for the night. Brian read them a bedtime story before turning out the lights. The light from the main room through the glass brick acted as a perfect night light and soon both kids were sleeping contentedly.

The next morning, Gus and JR were both eager to help Justin make breakfast. And then they were eager to help Brian take care of Max. In less than a day, Max had gone from being a strange baby to their sibling. Brian let Gus pick out Max's clothes and he let both kids help him feed Max his formula. By the time that Melanie and Lindsay came to pick them up, Gus and JR were happily playing a simple video game geared for preschoolers in the play room.

"How were they?" Lindsay asked.

"They were great," Justin said. "Brian's up putting Max down for his morning nap, and the kids are in the play room. Would you like some tea? Or do you need to go right away?"

They opted to stay and so Justin put on the electric tea kettle. He had never been a huge fan of tea before being pregnant, but now he really liked the stuff and Brian was getting used to it. Soon they were sitting around the living room with their drinks and discussing the latest art exhibit which Justin had been invited to join. It was at the Carnegie Museum and was set to feature local up-and-coming artists.

Brian came down the stairs a little later and JR must have heard him, because she rushed from the play room and was at his knees waiting to be picked up as soon as he reached the bottom step.

"What's up, squirt?" Brian asked her.

"Did Max like the stuffed dog I picked out?" JR asked.

"He did," Brian told her. "It's in his crib with him and I'm sure he'll appreciate seeing it as soon as he wakes up from his nap."

"I like Max," JR said.

Brian grinned. "I'm glad."

"Is he my brother like Gussie?" JR asked.

Brian glanced over to Lindsay and Melanie to field this question. They exchanged a quick glance before Lindsay finally nodded and Melanie sighed. "Yes, sweetie, Max is your brother too."

"Why's he live here, then?" JR asked.

"Because not all brothers and sisters live in the same house," Justin said. "Just like all mommies and daddies don't live in the same house."

JR nodded as though that made perfect sense. In her three year old mind, it probably did. After all, her daddy had never lived in the same house with them. "Okay."

With that, she was off back to the playroom where Gus was taking his turn at the video game.

"Thanks for that," Justin said. "We really want all the kids to all feel like they're family."

"They are," Lindsay said, though Melanie still looked uncertain. "I think we adults will have a harder time accepting that than the kids will."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Brian seemed to be adapting to life with an infant better than even Justin could have anticipated. He had taken off most of December to help Justin with Max. They had interviewed and chosen a nanny together. Brian was even doing his fair share of diaper changes and midnight feedings. Justin was eternally grateful for Brian's help. Taking care of Max was harder work than Justin could have imagined. By the time Brian went back to work after the New Year, Justin was more than ready to have the nanny start work.

They had hired a student from PIFA to be their live-in nanny. They worked out a schedule around his classes. It was convenient for both Carlos and Justin. Justin could work in the studio when Carlos was there with Max. In return for only asking him to work a few hours a day, Carlos was willing to watch Max two evenings a week so that Brian and Justin could have time out away from the house. It was a perfect solution for all concerned. The fact that Justin and Carlos could talk about art and PIFA insured that they would become friends.

The first night Brian and Justin got to go back to Babylon was a relief for both men. Fucking each other was never a chore, but they were both used to having more variety in their sex lives. While Justin might have once yearned for monogamy, he had gotten over that once he saw how good tricking could be. It wasn't a substitute for a committed loving relationship, but it certainly served to spice up things. He wouldn't trade the life he had with Brian for anything.

While Brian and Justin danced and drank and fucked the night away, however, not everyone was pleased to see them getting back into their groove.

"What the hell are they doing?" Michael asked no one in particular.

"It looks like they are having fun," Emmett said dryly. "This is the first time they've gotten out since Max was born."

"Guess having a nanny living with them helps," Ted said.

"Ooh!" Emmett said excitedly. "Have you seen Carlos yet? He's absolutely dreamy!"

Ben and Ted both rolled their eyes. Michael was still busy staring down Brian and Justin to really pay attention. Ben said, "Isn't he a college student? A little young for you, Em?"

"He's 26," Emmett said defensively. "He started late because he was helping his mother raise his siblings. Which is why he's so good with Max. He's smart and funny and has the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen."

"Not to mention abs that even Brian would kill for," Ted interjected.

Blake raised one eyebrow. "You've seen his abs?"

Emmett and Ted both got dreamy looks on their faces. "Brian and Justin let him use the exercise room. He was working out the last time we went over for a visit."

"He walked out wearing just a tiny pair of running shorts," Ted said. "Blake, honey, you would have been so proud of me. I didn't drool once, though I was sorely tempted."

Blake laughed and kissed his partner's cheek. "I am proud of you."

"Well, I call dibs on the hot Latin manny," Emmett said.

"I still don't get it," Michael said, turning back to his friends. "Why are they here? They have a new baby at home. They should be with him, not out tricking."

Ben sighed. "Michael, we have a son at home too. Do you think we should just give up ever going anywhere so that we can hover over Hunter? Do you think Mel and Lindsay never go anywhere without JR and Gus? All parents need time away from being a parent. They aren't neglecting Max. They aren't doing anything that will hurt him or each other. It's perfectly fine. This is just their way. You know that. Besides, it's been proven that both parents and children need some time apart in order to maintain a healthy relationship."

"I would give anything to be a full-time father to JR," Michael said, "or to be able to get pregnant and have a kid of our own. To see them just take that for granted…"

"Sweetie, they aren't taking it for granted," Emmett said. "They both adore that baby. Brian spends almost as much time doting on him as Justin does. But like Ben said, they can't spend all their time hovering over him. Everyone needs a break now and again. Let them enjoy their time away."

Michael still looked uncertain, so Ben grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the dance floor. "Dance with me and forget about them."


	5. Part Five

**Part Five**

Brian stormed into the house in mid March and slammed the door behind him. Justin was in the kitchen making dinner and looked up at him inquiringly. Brian just huffed and went up the stairs to change his clothes. He'd had a shit day.

It had started with Max screaming his head off at 5:30 in the morning and refusing to go back to sleep. From there, it had proceeded to go down hill. His art department had screwed up the boards for his presentation and he'd had to run roughshod over them to get them corrected before his afternoon meeting. The afternoon meeting had been a disaster. Nothing that he had given them was right or good enough. It had ended without a contract and the woman had no intentions of giving them another shot. And if all of that wasn't bad enough, he'd blown a tire on the way home and had to fix the flat in his Zegna suit in the rain.

A shower and dry clothes did nothing to make Brian feel any better. He headed back down the stairs and picked up Max, who was crying in his swing, before going over to Justin. "I need to get the fuck out of here tonight."

"That bad?" Justin asked with concern.

"Worse," Brian sighed.

"Want me to call Debbie or my mom to watch Max?" Justin asked.

Brian shook his head and kissed Justin's cheek. "No. I just… I need a night out alone. Is that okay?"

Justin smiled at him. "Sure. I want a day at the spa on Saturday in return. Daphne's in town and it would be nice to just be pampered for a few hours without having any responsibilities."

Brian smirked. "I'll keep Max Saturday so you can have your girls' day at the spa."

"Come and eat something before you go," Justin said. "I made grilled tuna and roasted some veggies in the oven."

They sat down and talk soon turned to their days. Brian complained about his art department and the client who could not be pleased. Justin talked about his meeting with his agent and about the latest painting he was working on.

"I had Cynthia call the landscaping company about the patio and swing set," Brian said. "The guy's going to stop in at 9 am on Saturday morning to talk about what we want, so you'll have to schedule your spa day to start after ten."

"Okay," Justin said. "You still want to put in a built in grill?"

"Yeah," Brian said. "I was thinking that we could ask about a hot tub, too. Maybe get something that will fit with the design rather than wait and deal with an ugly hot tub that just sits on the patio."

"That's going to jack the budget up," Justin said. "But I'd like that. Oh, yeah. I meant to tell you we have an appointment with Three Rivers Academy next week. I cleared it with Cynthia and she's got it on your calendar."

"Three Rivers Academy?" Brian asked. "Isn't that a school?"

"It is," Justin said. "It's a very prestigious private school with a waiting list two years long. We need to meet with them now if we want Max to be accepted in time to start preschool."

Brian shook his head in wonder. "And how much is this very prestigious private school going to cost us?"

"Less than your annual clothing budget," Justin said dryly. "We can afford it, Brian. And Max deserves the best."

"He's going to have to wear a uniform, isn't he?" Brian groaned.

Justin chuckled. "I survived. So will he. And so will you."

"Why there?" Brian asked.

"Because they aren't a religious school," Justin said. "They're rather progressive, actually. And there's a zero tolerance policy against bullying. On top of that, 2/3 of their students end up being accepted into Ivy League schools. Their academics are unmatched, and the extracurricular activities they offer vary from sports to arts to social awareness clubs."

"And they start with preschool?" Brian asked.

"Preschool through high school," Justin confirmed. "Max will start when he's three and keep going to the same school until he graduates."

Brian considered this for a few minutes. On the one hand, he had fond memories of his public school, and he didn't want his son to grow up thinking he was better than other kids who couldn't afford private school. Then again, Justin had come out of private school without that attitude and he was sure that Justin would make sure the Max did as well. And the open-mindedness and no-bullying was a real draw. Brian knew that Gus often had issues with classmates or parents of classmates who were not accepting of his same-sex parents.

"Yeah, okay," Brian sighed. "We'll go to the meeting and get our kid into this school."

Justin leaned over and kissed Brian deeply. "Thanks. Wake me up when you get home tonight. I'll show you how grateful I am."

Brian smirked. "I'm sure you will, Sunshine."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Michael found that all of the other guys in their little group of friends had been taken in by Brian and Justin and there was not a sympathetic ear in the bunch, so he went to Melanie and Lindsay for support. There he found that Lindsay, as usual, had been swayed to defend Brian, but he had an ally in Mel. She too viewed Brian and Justin's antics as irresponsible and reckless.

"How can they think that it's okay to go out and fuck everything that moves while their child is at home with a sitter?" Mel wondered over lunch. She and Michael had begun meeting away from the others to discuss what was going on and to try and come up with some way to intervene.

"Brian has actually started going out without Justin again," Michael informed her. "I wonder if that means that they're fighting again. They just don't have a stable enough relationship to be good parents. After Brian's childhood, you would think he would know better than to even try."

"But what can we do about it?" Mel wondered. "I mean, it isn't like we can force them to change their behavior."

"They shouldn't be parents," Michael said coldly. "I'll figure something out."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Justin was having a very bad day. The house was a mess from the contractors tromping in and out to use the bathroom, leaving a trail of muddy boot prints in their wake. Max was teething and had been crying on and off for the entire morning. Carlos was sick with the flu. And Brian was in Chicago for business. He hadn't gotten any work done all day and Justin hadn't slept well the night before without Brian there. And just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, the doorbell rang.

"Hello," Justin said to the frumpy woman on their doorstep over Max's crying. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Justin Taylor or Brian Kinney?" the woman asked with a small smile.

"I'm Justin Taylor," he told her.

"Mr. Taylor, my name is Jodi Fordham," she said. "I'm from the department of family services. I'm here to inform you and your partner that we are conducting an investigation of the fitness of yourself and Mr. Kinney as parents. Is Mr. Kinney home?"

Justin was in shock. They were being investigated? "Um, no. Brian's in Chicago on business. He'll be home tomorrow."

She nodded. "I'll want to sit down and talk to both of you in the coming days. May I come in?"

Justin nodded and let her in and then flushed when he realized the mess was still there. "I'm sorry about the mess. We're having some work done in the back garden and the crew keeps tracking mud everywhere when they come in to use the rest room."

She smiled as she took the seat Justin offered. He sat across from her and held Max tightly to him as the baby eventually cried himself to sleep. "Why… why would you investigate us? I mean, why us?"

"We received an anonymous tip alleging neglect and child endangerment," the Jodi said. "While I'm sure you and your partner will find this inconvenient, you must understand the need to follow up on any allegations of this sort."

Justin nodded. "What… what does an investigation entail? What are you looking for?"

"We just want to make sure that Max is receiving the care and attention he deserves," Jodi said kindly. "We'll conduct interviews with you and Brian and any other family members. We'll also talk with friends and colleagues. When it's all over, I'll sit down with you and Brian. If I think Max is in good hands, it will end there. If I think there is cause for concern, it will go before a judge, who will make the final decision what happens to Max."

"This can't be happening," Justin said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry," Jodi said. Justin thought that she might really mean it too. "Do you have a few minutes to talk now? I'd just like to get a handle on how your family works. Maybe take a tour of the house later. It's a beautiful home. Didn't it used to be a library?"

Justin nodded. "We renovated it and moved in just before Max was born. Just let me put Max down for a nap and I'll be happy to show you around and answer any questions you might have. Would you like to come up and see his room? I'd rather not disturb him later."

Jodi smiled and followed Justin up the stairs to Max's room. She looked around and made notes in her notebook while Justin changed Max's diaper and got him settled for his afternoon nap. A few minutes later, they left the room together, Justin carrying the monitor so he could hear when Max awoke.

"He's been teething," Justin said. "He's absolutely miserable."

"And when he's miserable, so are you," Jodi said knowingly.

"Yeah," Justin said. "You have kids?"

"Three," Jodi said. "I raised them mostly on my own. My ex is pretty useless. Why don't we talk while you show me around?"

And so Justin started showing her the upstairs and answered her questions as they went. At first the questions were mostly about the house and the renovations they had done. By the time they reached the back hall, however, the question got more serious.

"This is the nanny's apartment," Justin said as he indicated the door to Carlos' apartment. "He's got the flu right now, or I'd knock."

"That's fine," Jodi assured him. "I'll need to speak with him eventually, but it can wait until he's feeling better. I didn't realize you have a live in nanny."

"Is that a problem?" Justin asked with a frown.

"Not a problem," Jodi assured him. "Though there may be some concern since the report we received mentioned that Mr. Kinney was accused of sexual harassment in the past. Can you tell me a little bit about the nanny?"

"Well, Carlos is a student at PIFA," Justin said as he led her back towards his studio. "That's my alma mater. That was one of the reasons we hired him. He's bisexual, so he's a lot more comfortable with Brian and me than most of the women we interviewed. He's 26. He waited to start college until he was older because he was helping his mother raise his siblings. He's great with Max. Brian had a background check done before we hired him, so I'm sure he has more information if you need it."

"That would be helpful," Jodi said. She looked around the studio and was amazed at the work she saw. "Wow. You are very talented."

"Thanks," Justin said. He went over to the French doors and Jodi followed.

"What are they doing out there?" Jodi asked.

"Putting in a patio, a hot tub and a jungle gym for the kids," Justin said.

"Kids?" Jodi asked. "I thought it was just Max."

"Brian has a son, Gus," Justin explained. "He's being raised by his two moms along with his sister JR. But both of them come and spend the weekends here sometimes. Gus more than JR, but she comes about once a month. The first time we saw this place, Brian was already talking about putting in a swing set for them to play on."

Jodi nodded. "Tell me a little bit about how you and Brian met and about your relationship."

Justin sighed. "Would you like some tea? I'd rather get comfortable for this."

"That would be lovely," Jodi said.

Soon they were back in the living room, each with a cup of tea. "I never liked tea until I got pregnant. Now, I almost prefer it to coffee. Almost."

Jodi smiled. "Tell me about you and Brian."

Justin paused. "Well, we don't have what you might call a typical relationship. We never have. But what we have works for us."

"I see," Jodi said.

"I met Brian when I was 17," Justin said. "He was… the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I think I fell in love with him that first night. But Brian wasn't ready for a relationship or commitment."

Justin continued to tell her about their rocky beginnings and the time he left Brian for a more conventional relationship and how miserable he had been with Ethan, even before the fiddler cheated on him. "After that, I think we both realized that we were just right together. We've both put a lot of effort into making this thing work. We worked out what's right for us and it has worked for the last four years."

"You said that your relationship was different?"

"It's different because neither of us expect or want monogamy," Justin said. "We both enjoy sex, very much, and don't want or expect the other to be a monk. We like to go out dancing and when we do, we usually will pick up a trick or two. It's all completely consensual and completely harmless. We keep that part of our lives separate from Max. Even Gus, who is older, has no idea about that part of our lives. We're always safe, and we almost always participate in these activities together."

Jodi's eyes were wide, but she didn't look horrified. "Well, that is unusual. I suppose that extra-curricular activities like that might prompt some people to report you to our department. I can tell you that if that is the only basis for the complaint, then there is nothing to worry about. Our job is not to judge the private lives of parents, but to judge their fitness. Your sexual activity, as long as it truly is kept out of the view of your son, does not factor into our investigation."

Justin sighed with some relief. "You don't know how good that is to hear. We get flak, even from our closest friends, for the way we choose to live. I know that our relationship is unconventional, but isn't it better to be upfront and honest about our needs and desires than to lie and cheat and hurt each other?"

Jodi smiled ruefully. "I would have appreciated a little honesty from my ex, the cheating bastard. Though I can't say I would have been able to accept an open relationship like the one you two have."

"It's not completely open," Justin said. "We have rules and we are both very careful to follow them. It was breaking the rules and dishonesty that broke us up a few years ago, so we're very careful now. And we make a point to communicate, something that is very hard for Brian but he makes the effort because it's important.

"When I first found out I was pregnant," Justin said, "neither of us were sure how we were going to handle the change. But it's been good because we talk about the stuff that matters now. Sex is sex. What we have together is a lot more than just sex."

Max's cries came through the monitor and Justin gave Jodi an apologetic smile. She smiled in return. "Go take care of that sweet baby. I'll let myself out. And I'll be back tomorrow evening to talk with Brian after he returns."

Justin did as she suggested and saw to Max's needs, but as soon as Max was calm again and munching happily on a teething biscuit in his high chair, Justin picked up his cell phone to call Brian.


	6. Part Six

**Part Six**

Brian hadn't waited to come home. He'd called Cynthia and gotten on the first flight back to Pittsburgh. The client he was seeing could be rescheduled. He needed to be home with Justin and Max. The entire trip, Brian's mind was filled with fear and anger. How could anyone believe that they would ever do anything to hurt Max? It was insane. Sure they were different from most couples—even most gay couples—but neither of them would do anything to put Max in harm's way. They would never abuse or neglect him. They loved their son.

Brian had time to really think about everything that Justin had said over the phone and he came to a startling conclusion. Whoever had reported them had to be close enough to them to know certain things that a stranger wouldn't. While it was a well-known fact that the two of them often tricked together at Babylon, the accusation had included mention of the fact that Brian had been accused of sexual harassment. Not even the employees at Ryder had known about that. Marty had been adamant about keeping everything quiet and there was a gag order placed on everyone involved. Only Kip, his lawyer, Marty, Cynthia, and Brian's closest friends knew about that awful time in his life.

Brian thought Kip could have been spiteful enough, but the man had long since gotten a job at a firm in LA and was actually doing pretty well for himself. There was no way he'd know enough about Brian's current life to do something like this. And Marty Ryder had retired when he sold the agency, so there was no reason, personal or business related, for him to try and sabotage Brian. Marty had always liked Brian, anyway.

Which left his friends.

Brian knew that some of their friends had never really accepted Justin and him, nor had they approved of the way they had decided to raise their son, but to do something like this… this was unforgivable. They could lose Max.

Brian refused to think about that possibility. He would not let Max be taken away from them. If it meant never fucking another trick again, he would make sure that Max stayed with them. He'd called his lawyer while he was waiting for the plane to board and he knew that Jason was already making inquiries. They would _**not**_ lose Max.

Brian wondered how long it would take for Justin to figure out that it had to have been one of their friends who made the accusation.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

"How could anyone think that you and Brian aren't fit parents?" Jennifer demanded as she paced the length of the living room. She was angry. No, she was more than angry; she was livid. "You both love that boy more than anything. I know everyone had doubts about Brian, but I would have thought the way he doted on you through the pregnancy and the way he is with Max would have ended any doubts."

Justin had told her his suspicions about it being one of their friends. He was almost sorry he had now. "The social worker assigned to our case will likely be coming to speak with you at some point. Try not to be too angry with her. She's a very nice lady and she's just doing her job."

Jennifer sighed and sat beside Justin on the sofa. "How can you be so calm about this?"

"I'm not," Justin said with a tired sigh. "I just… I have to believe that they'll see how much we love him and this will all just go away. I can't lose him, mom."

"We aren't going to lose him," Brian said from the doorway, startling both occupants of the room. "We're going to get through this and we're going to keep our son."

"Brian!" Justin breathed out in relief. He rushed over to where Brian was and was grateful to have Brian's arms wrap around him. "I'm so glad you're home. I'm not sure I would have slept a wink tonight."

"There was no way I would have been able to deal with the meeting tomorrow when my mind was on this shit," Brian said. "I needed to come home. Cynthia's already got Jake Myers on a flight to Chicago first thing in the morning. He can finish the pitch."

"I'm glad you're home," Jennifer said with a smile. "I should go and let you two talk." She hugged Justin and said, "Let me know how tomorrow goes. And I'll let you know if I hear anything from the case worker."

"Thanks, Mom," Justin said. "For everything."

Once Jen was gone, Brian and Justin sat down on the sofa with a bourbon each and talked through everything that had happened that day. Brian told Justin about the lawyer and Justin shared his suspicions about who had made the anonymous report.

"It had to be either Michael or Melanie," Justin said. "Everyone else has either supported us all along or has shown that they do now. I can't imagine any of them doing this."

"I can't imagine Mikey doing this either, but I'm pretty sure he's probably behind this," Brian said tiredly.

"Not Melanie?" Justin asked. He had been leaning towards Michael too, but he had expected Brian think it was Melanie. Their mutual animosity was notorious.

Brian shook his head. "If she'd done it, she would have said something. She wouldn't hide her identity. She'd want me to know that she was the one who was fucking up my life. But I don't think she would do this to _you_. She cares too much about you. And honestly, I think she knows that there's not much that the state can do. Jason said that even if we both have a different sex partner every day, as long as we aren't having sex in front of Max, there's no legal reason we should lose him. This is more an annoyance than anything else."

"That's the impression that I got from Jodi today too," Justin said. "Even so, the fact that the state _could_ take our son away from us… God, Brian, that scares me."

"If Mikey did this," Brian said darkly, "he's going to regret it."

Justin huffed. "If he did it, Debbie's gonna kill him."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

By the time Jodi came back the next afternoon, she had spoken to almost all of their friends. One by one, they got calls from their friends and family letting them know that the woman had been to see them. Even Cynthia got a brief interview. The only person who didn't call was Michael. It seemed pretty obvious to Brian and Justin both that he was the one behind all of this.

"I almost expected you to have your lawyer here waiting," Jodi said with a smile once the introductions had been made and tea had been served.

"We don't want there to be any question about our willingness to cooperate with your investigation," Brian said. "Jason will only show up if this goes farther."

Jodi's smile widened. "My colleague said that he's already been bugging my supervisor for information. Serves her right; she's a pain in the ass."

Brian chuckled. "Okay, so what questions do you have for me?"

"Well, I spoke to Justin yesterday and I was able to speak with most of your friends and family either yesterday evening or today," Jodi said. "And Carlos gave his interview over the phone. That poor boy sounds like he needs a week of rest and a few prescriptions."

"I told him he needs to see the doctor," Justin said wryly. "He's almost as stubborn as Brian when it comes to these things, it seems."

"Well, I have to say that everything that I have been told corroborates what you told me yesterday," Jodi said. "Basically, I have almost everything I need. The only thing left to ask is about the sexual harassment suit that was mentioned in the report."

Brian nodded. "Justin—and the others, I'm sure—have told you that I have always been very sexually active. There was a time when that included the workplace. Kip changed that. He sought me out because of my reputation and my position in the agency I then worked for. Afterward, he pressured me to promote him because of our brief liaisons. When I refused, he brought the suit."

"He dropped the case, didn't he?" Jodi asked. "Miss Marcus said that she handled that case and that there was no reason given."

Brian shrugged. "I don't know why he dropped it. I know that he left Ryder a few months later for a position in LA. He's moved up pretty fast there. I have no idea if he did the same out there that he did to me."

Jodi nodded and made a notation in her notebook. "Okay. Just one last question then. Both of you have been very up front with your chosen lifestyle and your reasons for your behavior. If it came down to a choice between your evenings out with other men and keeping your son, which would you choose?"

Brian snorted. "There's no question. I'd choose my family. I'd choose Justin and Max and Gus over any trick any day."

"The same goes for me," Justin said. "The tricks are only a small part of our relationship, a means of relaxation. If that was no longer an option, we would find another outlet for stress. It's as simple as that."

Jodi nodded and smiled at them. "I'm going to finish up my report and go over my findings with my supervisor tomorrow. We'll get back to you then. If she thinks it's necessary, would you voluntarily submit to drug testing?"

Brain and Justin both nodded and Brian said, "I know that drugs are a big part of the club scene, and we've both partaken in the past, but Justin hasn't touched anything since our first year together and I haven't touched that shit since I was diagnosed with cancer a couple years ago. These days, we rarely even have more than one or two drinks when we go out."

"Good to know," Jodi said. "I'll be in touch tomorrow."

Justin showed her out and then they both sat back on the sofa with a sigh of relief.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

The call came the next day and, while the supervisor decided that she wanted the drug testing done, Jodi told them that as long as they came back negative, the case would be closed. So Brian and Justin had taken an hour to go in for the drug testing and one more day passed before the investigation was officially over and their case closed. Justin invited everyone over to celebrate.

Well, he invited almost everyone over to celebrate.

Of course, Michael decided to show up anyway. It wasn't all that surprising that he began to whine the moment Brian opened the door. "You guys are having a party? Why wasn't I invited?"

Brian frowned at Mikey and didn't let him pass when the smaller man tried to enter the house. "You weren't invited because this is a party to celebrate the fact that our son wasn't taken away from us. We didn't figure you would like to celebrate that."

Mikey gave Brian a confused look. "Why wouldn't I want to celebrate that?"

Brian snorted with disgust. "Perhaps because you've never once supported us being parents? Or better yet, because you were the one who fucking set the goddamn state on us in the first place. Why Mikey? Why would you do that? Do you have any idea what it would have done to Justin—what it would have done to _me_ —if we'd lost him? Do you have any fucking clue what you did?"

"I didn't…" Mikey was going to try to lie but Brian's face was completely implacable. "Fine, I did it. But it's not right the way you are raising him! You have a kid at home and you are both still out there whoring yourselves!"

"Good thing it isn't you who gets to decide who's fit to be a parent," Brian muttered. "Get out of my house and don't you ever fucking come here again."

"Brian!"

Mikey's bleating was loud enough to attract the attention of the rest of the party, but Debbie was the only one who came over to the entry. "What's going on?"

"Ma, tell Brian he can't kick me out," Mikey said, like they were kids arguing over a shared toy and not grown men in Brian's home.

"I don't think I can do that," Debbie said uncertainly. "Brian?"

"Tell her what you did Mikey," Brian said coldly. Michael glared at him but refused to speak. "Tell her or I will."

Michael glared for another minute before crumbling. "Fine. I called child protective services."

"You what!" Debbie demanded. She didn't wait for her son to answer before swatting him upside the head. "How could you do something so stupid? Why would you do that!"

"Because!" Michael fumed. "They're horrible parents! They shouldn't be allowed to have a kid together!"

"They are wonderful parents," Debbie said in a voice that brooked no argument. "So what's the real fucking reason?"

Michael looked desperate to get out of there, but there was no place to go, and all of the people present were looking at him like he was a monster. There would be no help from them. Not even Melanie looked like she understood. "This is all Justin's fault. He trapped Brian with this pregnancy. Brian doesn't want to be a parent! He wants to be the Stud of Liberty Avenue, just like he always was. You can see it when he goes out to Babylon! He wants that life back!

"So I decided that if Max was gone, Brian wouldn't have any reason not to be the man he always was," Michael said angrily. "He'd see that Justin is still the same old trumped up twink he's always been and drop him." He turned to Brian. "Don't you see? I did it for you!"

"You're an idiot," Brian growled. "I'm with Justin because I want to be with Justin. I'm a parent because I love my kids, both of them. And you're a fool if you think otherwise."

"You… you…" Debbie had no words for her son just then. She shook her head sadly. "You need to leave Michael. Brian's right. There's no place for you here."

"Ma?"

Debbie shook her head again. "You're my son and I love you, but right now, I can't stand the sight of you. Go, Michael."

"Brian?"

Brian turned away from him and held the door open. "You aren't welcome here."

Michael stared at his once best friend and thought that maybe he didn't know this man at all. "I did it for you." No one replied and Michael had choice but to leave. He looked back one last time to find Brian staring at him. Before he could get his hopes up, Brian closed the door.

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

The party was a bit of a bust after Michael's visit. Everyone was saddened by Michael's actions and weren't quite sure what to do, so they simply went home. Carl had taken a tearful Debbie home after she had sobbed on Brian's shoulder for a good twenty minutes, apologizing profusely for her son. Melanie actually looked apologetic as she told Brian about the lunches she'd had with Michael recently, but she claimed that she hadn't realized that he was serious about acting out. Lindsay had dragged her away before Brian could truly lay into her. Ted and Blake had left silently. Emmett had gone with Carlos to his apartment, where the queen spent many an evening of late.

Eventually it was just Jennifer, Brian and Justin left. "I suppose I should go too. I have to pick up Molly."

"I'm glad you came," Justin told her as he hugged her tightly.

"Me too," Jennifer said. "I'm just so happy that everything worked out."

Justin nodded, though he wasn't sure what would happen now. Yes, the problem with the state had been cleared up, but Brian had just lost his best friend. It was not a good thing.

Jennifer hugged Brian and the tall brunet not only endured it but returned it, a sure sign that he was hurting. "You are a great father, a wonderful partner and an amazing friend. Don't let Michael make you doubt that."

Brian swallowed hard and nodded. He hadn't really said a word to anyone since Michael's departure, but he appreciated that she cared enough to say something like that. They had come a long way since the days when Jennifer had dumped Justin's belongings on his desk at Ryder.

"Thanks."

Justin was cleaning up when Brian returned from locking up. "Leave that. The cleaning lady will be in tomorrow."

Justin sighed and set the dish rag down. He was emotionally and physically exhausted. He was just glad that Max had slept through everything.

"Let's go to bed."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

Michael made attempts to contact Brian, but the brunet ignored each and every call over the next months. It didn't matter to him that Michael was sorry. What he had done was unforgivable. And for once, no one in the group was willing to overlook Michael's actions. Only Debbie still spoke to him and there was definitely tension in the air each time they were together.

Ben had been shocked by Michael's actions and it had taken weeks for him to work through everything. In the end, he decided that the Michael who loved him and the Mikey who loved Brian were two completely different people. Mikey would do things that Michael would never dream of doing. Ben decided that Michael was probably better off without Brian in his life; not because of Brian but because of Mikey. He said as much to Brian over lunch one afternoon.

Brian snorted. "Not like I'm going to let him anywhere near Justin or Max." He shook his head in disgust. "I've always known he had some warped vision of who I am—who he wants me to be. He used to lecture me all the time about how I needed to clean up my life and when I do, he pretends that I haven't because it doesn't fit the picture in his head. He's always had it out for Justin, but Justin could take care of himself. But now he's targeting Max. I can't accept that."

"I know," Ben said. "When Hunter's mom came after him… well, let's just say that neither of us was exactly rational at the time. I know what it feels like to want to protect your child." Ben took a sip of his wine and continued. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to sit down and talk with you. I've been offered a job as the dean of the gender studies department at a university in Minnesota. I'm going to take it. I think I've convinced Michael that it's for the best for everyone. I thought you should know."

Brian nodded. "Thanks." He paused for a minute and then asked, "He still doesn't comprehend what he did, does he?"

Ben smiled sadly. "He still insists that he was doing it for your benefit."

**BJBJBJBJBJ**

After his lunch with Ben, Brian didn't feel like going back to Kinnetik, so he headed home instead. When he parked the car, he could hear laughter coming from the courtyard, so he went to the iron gate and unlocked it. Stepping into their private refuge, Brian was instantly hit by the scene before him. Justin was sitting on the family swing with Max in his arms while Gus ran back and forth between pushing Justin and Max and pushing JR, who was on one of the regular swings. It was exactly like he had imagined the first time he had seen the place.

"Daddy's home! Gus yelled before running over to hug Brian. JR followed close behind, shouting "Uncle Brian!" and soon Brian had his arms filled with two giggling kids. Justin walked over and kissed Brian before lifting Max up so he could get a kiss as well.

"You're home early. Everything okay?" Justin asked.

Brian nodded and grinned. "Everything is just perfect."

Justin smiled back at his partner and together the five of them went inside. They were together as a family and that was all that mattered.

**The End**


End file.
